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24 results for “Germany”
International · 2026-10-19
Germany summons Iranian ambassador following court verdict on assassination plotA German court has convicted two men of plotting to assassinate a Jewish community leader and found that Iran's intelligence service had directed one of them. Germany formally protested this decision by summoning the Iranian ambassador, signalling deepening tensions between the two countries.
International · 2026-10-15
Ukrainian officer on trial in Germany for Nord Stream pipeline sabotageA Ukrainian military officer, Serhii K., has begun trial at Hamburg's Hanseatic Higher Regional Court, charged with participating in the September 2022 sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines. Prosecutors argue the attack was a state-sponsored operation to damage Russian energy revenue funding its war in Ukraine; he denies involvement. Germany is also seeking the extradition of a second suspect arrested in Croatia.
International · 2026-10-06
Germany arrests former spy chief August Hanning on espionage chargesAugust Hanning, the 80-year-old former head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005, has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, treason and disclosure of state secrets. Authorities also detained a former senior BND employee, identified as Manfred D., who is accused of supplying Hanning with classified documents in exchange for payment.
International · 2026-10-11
Germany arrests former BND chief August Hanning in major espionage caseGerman authorities have arrested August Hanning, the former head of the BND foreign intelligence service who led the agency from 1998 to 2005, on charges of treason and espionage. A former senior BND employee, Manfred D., was also detained for allegedly supplying Hanning with hundreds of classified documents in exchange for payment after Hanning left office. Prosecutors have not disclosed which foreign intelligence service Hanning is suspected of working for.
International · 2026-09-25
Croatian court approves extradition of Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream pipeline sabotageCroatia's court has authorised the extradition of Volodymyr Zhuravlov, a Ukrainian national, to Germany following his alleged involvement in the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines. German prosecutors are pursuing several suspects they believe participated in the underwater explosions that damaged the pipelines, which previously supplied Russian gas to Germany.
International · 2026-09-27
German and Russian foreign ministers hold first talks since 2022 invasion of UkraineGerman Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in what marks the first direct diplomatic engagement between Germany and Russia since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. The meeting represents a significant shift in bilateral relations that have been severely strained since the war began, with Germany remaining one of Ukraine's strongest supporters in Europe.
International · 2026-10-07
Former BND chief August Hanning arrested on espionage chargesAugust Hanning, who headed Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND from 1998 to 2005, was arrested at his home in Nordwalde on Tuesday on charges of espionage, treason and disclosure of state secrets. A former BND employee, identified as Manfred D., was also arrested for allegedly providing Hanning with classified documents in exchange for payment. Prosecutors have not disclosed which foreign intelligence service Hanning is suspected of working for.
International · 2026-09-24
Croatian court approves extradition of Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream sabotage caseA Croatian court has authorized the extradition to Germany of Ukrainian national Volodymyr Zhuravlov, who is suspected of involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. German prosecutors have been investigating the underwater explosions in the Baltic Sea for several years as part of their effort to identify those responsible for the attack.
International · 2026-09-07
Far-right AfD achieves strong victory in Saxony-Anhalt but lacks absolute majorityThe Alternative for Germany party secured 43.8% of the vote in Sunday's Saxony-Anhalt state election, more than twice the share won by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats. Although the AfD won the most seats, it fell three short of the 42 needed for an outright majority in the 83-seat parliament.
International · 2026-09-15
Former Golden Dawn spokesman Kasidiaris released from prison, announces political plansIlias Kasidiaris, a 45-year-old former spokesperson for the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, was released from Domokos prison on Tuesday after serving six years of a 13-year sentence for leading a criminal organisation. He immediately announced plans to establish a new far-right political party, though he remains legally barred from holding office until 2033. His release comes as far-right movements gain strength across Europe, including recent electoral victories in Germany.
International · 2026-10-16
Two men sentenced for plotting Iran-backed assassination of German Jewish leaderA Hamburg court has convicted a Danish and an Afghan national for plotting to assassinate Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, on behalf of Iran. The Danish man received eight and a half years and the Afghan man four and a half years in prison. The case reflects ongoing German concerns about alleged Iranian plots targeting Jewish figures in Europe.
International · 2026-09-27
Bus carrying Filipino tourists crashes near Munich, killing twoA bus transporting Filipino tourists veered off a highway near Munich, Germany, resulting in two deaths and injuries to 25 people. Emergency services responded immediately and transported the injured to local hospitals. Authorities have not yet released information about the cause of the accident or details about those affected.
International · 2026-09-20
German state elections deliver sharp blow to Chancellor Merz's CDU and boost far-right AfDState elections held on 20 September in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin have inflicted significant losses on Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union, with the party dropping below the 5% threshold in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The far-right Alternative for Germany achieved its best result in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, though it is unlikely to join any government as other parties refuse to cooperate with it. In Berlin, the ruling CDU was also outperformed by Die Linke.
International · 2026-09-20
German state elections deal heavy blow to Chancellor Merz's CDU as far-right AfD surgesChancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU suffered significant defeats in state elections on 20 September in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the party fell below the 5% threshold for the first time in its history there, while the far-right Alternative for Germany won the most votes. The results compound earlier losses in Saxony-Anhalt and raise questions about Merz's political future.
International · 2026-09-26
Russian and German Foreign Ministers Hold First Direct Talks Since 2022 InvasionRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in their first direct discussion since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although the specific topics discussed were not publicly revealed, the meeting represents a limited but notable restoration of diplomatic contact between the two nations. Germany has been one of Ukraine's strongest European supporters both militarily and financially, while its relations with Russia have remained largely frozen at senior diplomatic levels throughout the conflict.
International · 2026-10-05
Nobel Prize awarded for discovery of optogenetics techniqueThe 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University in the United States, Peter Hegemann of Humboldt University in Berlin, and Georg Nagel of the University of Würzburg in Germany. They were recognised for their discoveries of light-gated ion channels and the development of optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control specific neurons. Since its development in the mid-2000s, optogenetics has become one of the most important tools in neuroscience research.
International · 2026-09-27
Merz's CDU suffers historic losses in German state elections as AfD gains groundChancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union performed poorly in recent state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, failing to meet thresholds needed for parliamentary representation and being overtaken by other parties, while the far-right AfD made significant gains. Merz described the results as a 'disaster' but said he would remain in office and continue with his coalition's reform plans. The defeats add to mounting pressure on the Chancellor following months of weak approval ratings and speculation about his political future.
International · 2026-09-16
Ilias Kasidiaris, former Golden Dawn spokesperson, released from prison and announces new nationalist partyIlias Kasidiaris, former spokesperson of Greece's neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, was released from prison on Tuesday after serving part of a 13-year sentence for leading a criminal organisation. He announced plans to launch a new nationalist party, though he remains legally barred from holding office until 2033. His release comes as far-right movements gain influence across Europe.
International · 2026-09-20
Russia intensifies provocations across NATO's eastern frontierRussian drone strikes near Poland's border, a NATO interception over Lithuania, and a Russian warship firing flares at a Danish helicopter marked an escalating pattern of Russian provocations this week. Poland responded by scrambling fighters and joining a new European coalition to develop joint air defences. European leaders characterised the incidents as part of a broader campaign testing NATO's readiness and resolve.
International · 2026-09-07
US envoys Kushner and Witkoff hold first Kyiv talks with Zelenskyy in renewed peace pushAmerican peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Kyiv on Sunday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in their first diplomatic visit to the Ukrainian capital. The meeting came after the envoys spent three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the previous day, as the Trump administration pursues efforts to end the four-and-a-half-year war. While Kremlin officials described the Moscow talks as productive, neither side announced a breakthrough.
International · 2026-10-31
Large-scale strike and protests across Italy target Meloni government and cost of livingTens of thousands of Italians participated in a nationwide strike and demonstrations across more than 50 cities on Friday, organised by the trade union USB. The protests focused on rising costs of living, education funding cuts and opposition to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government.
International · 2026-10-31
France experiences third consecutive weekend of nationwide protestsApproximately 320,000 people participated in demonstrations across France on Saturday, marking the third straight weekend of nationwide protests. The demonstrations formed part of a broader wave of unrest spreading across Europe over concerns about living costs and government policy. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez acknowledged that protests were largely peaceful but condemned an 'extraordinary' level of violence from rioters, highlighting an attack involving a Molotov cocktail against police in Paris.
International · 2026-10-09
South African judge Navi Pillay awarded 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for human rights advocacySouth African judge Navi Pillay has received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her decades-long commitment to international law and human rights. Her career has spanned resistance to apartheid, work on international tribunals including Rwanda's genocide court, and leadership of UN human rights initiatives. She is South Africa's fifth Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
International · 2026-09-21
Merz's CDU faces significant setbacks in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin electionsChancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU suffered heavy losses in state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin on Sunday, with the party failing to meet the 5% threshold in the former and losing ground to Die Linke in the latter. Although Merz acknowledged the results as a "disaster", he declared his intention to remain as chancellor and continue implementing his government's reforms on the economy, taxes and welfare. The defeat adds to mounting pressure on Merz, who has faced weak approval ratings and speculation about his political future.